Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Don’t feel like Cookin’? The Wave

This seemed to be the last report written before the kidnapping.  Until we have more information, we’ll get this posted.

Opening day of a new attraction at Disney World is pretty big news.  Opening day of a new restaurant at one of the resorts carries much less spectacle. Yet, the Disney dining aficionado marks it on his calendar… Well, at least I did… So I headed over to the Contemporary resort for the opening of THE WAVE.  Before we get to the food, a little background seems appropriate.

Friday night saw the last people served at the Concourse Steakhouse.  By Saturday it was boarded up as the space begins transforming to a different purpose.  Although the value of the real estate has greater things coming, the resort could not afford losing a large restaurant.  But rather than relocate the establishment, Disney has worked to create a completely new, special dining option located in the large first floor area that used to be home to the Food and Fun Center arcade.

When some of our party got stuck elsewhere on property, the Cast Members had no problem shuffling our reservation as attendance was pretty light.

The first thing of note is the strong design element used throughout the restaurant.  From an impressive crashing wave walkway and textured carved glass to ornate utensils and themed furniture, we know that this is a unique modern dining opportunity.  The menu is slightly pricey, but pretty consistent with most Disney full service dining prices. We were there for dinner and the main entrees ranged from a $17.99 Vegetable Stew to a $28.99 Tenderloin.  Most of these items are served a la carte, meaning you have to pay an additional $3.99 for your side items.

My friend started off with a $7.99 Avocado & Citrus Salad that seemed simple but had a nice flavor.  For the entree she went with a $11.49 lump crab cake.  It was nicely pan seared and was surprisingly well received especially for someone from Baltimore were the crab cake is a major staple.  I went with the $19.99 Braised Chicken Pot Pie.  While this was very flavorful, there are two things that got my attention.  Firstly, that the pot pie is served in a nice red pot and in no way resembles a ‘pie’.  Secondly, the chicken inside is in some cases still on the bone, quite a surprise from years of Swanson’s Pot Pie.  It all went to support this new image THE WAVE will give to Disney dining.

As we were meeting folk over at Beaches and Cream we passed on dessert but it wasn’t for lack of interest. The approach to dessert consists of a trio of items for each person compiled thematically by the chef.    For $7.99 you can get a small piece of cheesecake, a coconut panna cotta with passion fruit drizzle and chocolate passion fruit mousse.  You can choose from other chef prepared items as well or you can mix and match to your own liking.

The WAVE also has an impressive full service bar as well as a nicely displayed wine “cellar”. It was a nice evening with great friends, an interesting menu and a warm environment.  I look to return to THE WAVE when I can use a getaway.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 05:04:07 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Don’t Feel Like Cookin’?: Rose & Crown

Of all the countries represented in World Showcase, I have spent the least amount of time eating in America and Great Britain. It is faulty logic, but they never felt as exotic to me as the other offerings. Then recently, I saw the error in my ways and was suddenly obsessed with experiencing Great Britain’s Rose & Crown Dining Room.

Although it was mid-January, I still had to get an Advanced Dining Reservation. Open seating is getting more and more difficult to maneuver as park attendance steadily grows. Upon entering the dining room, I was enveloped in the wonderful theming of the English Countryside. From the elaborate carpeting to the gorgeous mahogany wood furniture to the frame mold ceilings, there are no corners cut.

They brought us out some nice rolls served in a basket lined with a London newspaper. It was a nice touch and the rolls didn’t last long.

We started the meal with the “Fruit and Cheese Plate” ($8.99) from the Starters menu. While the fruit offerings were basic, all three of the cheese presentations and taste were exceptional. Other starters were available ranging from a $5.49 Potato and Leek Soup to a $8.99 Scottish Smoked Salmon.

For dinner, I chose “Harry Ramsden’s Fish & Chips” for $15.99. I don’t eat Fish and Chips very often but these were nicely flavored and I’ve gotten cravings ever since. I was also impressed in the size of the meal, definitely filling my stomach and appetite. My friends got the “Bangers and Mash” and a very tender pork loin, which they enjoyed as well.

Fish & Chips Bangers & Mash Pork Loin

The service was great and fun. Our server proudly sharing stories about her home. But, like always, the evening came to an end and we had to run outside to watch thenight explode with fireworks. But I will always look forward to my next meal at the Rose & Crown.

Other Passamaquoddy Dining reviews can be found by searching for “Dining” in the search engine on the upper right.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 05:58:21 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Don’t Feel Like Cookin’?: La Cellier

From the Canadian Outback

I’ve had this recurring nightmare. I’m in Epcot and I’m walking toward the other side of World Showcase after several runs on Montezuma’s Revenge - the new mud flume built outside the Mexico pavilion. (I told you it was a nightmare). Anyway, me and my dream party – which in addition to myself, consists of my brother and his wife, the lady who played Julie on the original “The Love Boat” TV series and inexplicably, half of the 1984 Olympic figure skating team. Anyway, we’re all hungry and we head over to the Canada pavilion to eat – without a reservation. I approach the host stand at La Cellier – the Canadian steakhouse – and ask if there is room for any walk-ups. The Cast member joked “you don’t have a reservation?” I say “I didn’t think to call”… But the cast member breaks into laughter… calls her friends, tells them what happens in French.. they laugh… Soon, the entire staff of the restaurant and many of the patrons are standing in the little lobby of the restaurant, pointing and laughing, repeatedly yelling “non réservacion”. Then I look down and realize I forgot to wear pants that day…

Then I wake up in a sweat, back safe in my lighthouse in good ole Passamaquoddy. The moral of the dream “if you want to eat at La Cellier, get a reservation and get it early.”.. and also that “Lauren Tewes was cute in 1978 but her cutesy voice gets on your nerves pretty quick.”

Back to reality… after many, many visits I finally scored an ADR – an Advanced Dining Reservation – at La Cellier during the week of Mousefest. I filled out the reservation with some friends, including Bryan from the “All About the Mouse” podcast.

The ALL ABOUT THE MOOSE meet

Andy Jackson, Glenn, Amy and Bryan Ripper

It had been years since I was inside the restaurant and was quickly reminded that the scarcity of reservations may be associated with the small size of the dining space. We waited in the small lobby and attempted to answer their trivia question at the host stand… Which we got very wrong. (it asked us how many Canadian Provinces there were and to name them… Our group got involved and we even employed some other folk in a similar waiting predicament. And the best we could come up with was five out of 13 – and one of them was “maple syrup”. We were okay with that because I quickly realized that my group and all of the other people waiting to eat could easily whoop the three hosts.

We were seated and our server, Mere from British Columbia promptly gave us a visit. She was a pleasure and offered great service and attention throughout the meal.

 

Most of us weren’t very adventurous with our drinks, but one friend tried a traditional Canadian beer called “Trois Pistoles”. He wasn’t sure whether he liked the flavor but, he did ask a cast iron stove on a date afterwards.

The lunch menu is not very dangerous. Everything is identifiable. After all, it is a steakhouse. At our table we tried the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup ($5.49) and the Wasabi Shrimp Cocktail ($9.99) for an appetizer. Both offerings as well as the nice bread variety were delicious. Other appetizers ran in price up to a $12.99 Duck Confit.

For our meals we had a couple grilled steak burgers ($11.49) and a couple New York Strip steaks ($24.99). My friends’ burgers were rich and succulent and they smiled throughout their meal. The steaks themselves were tasty, but I found the cut a bit fatty – a risk you take in any restaurant. Other sandwiches and entrees fall between our meals in price and include chicken dishes, prime rib, trout and squash ravioli.

Desserts ranged from $4.99 for S’Mores or Chocolate Moose up to a $7.00 Chocolate Whiskey Cake.

In closing, I’m constantly reminding myself that the foods and restaurants around Walt Disney World are inside of high traffic theme parks. With that in mind, I’m amazed at the quality of food – usually in line with upper midline restaurants outside of the parks. And with Disney involved, the servers are usually many steps above their real world counterparts.

Enjoy La Cellier.. but be sure to get that ADR! 407-WDW-DINE.

Be sure to check out Bryan’s website and podcast.

 

Other Passamaquoddy Dining reviews can be found by searching for “Dining” in the search engine on the upper right.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 13:13:43 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Don’t Feel Like Cookin’?: Yak & Yeti

Dateline: November 14, 2007

If you hadn’t heard, today was the opening of a nice sit down restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Yak & Yeti is a nice establishment featuring Asian cuisine located appropriately at the entrance to Asia, a few hundred yards from Everest base camp. I arrived at around 3 O’Clock and was able to walk right in and get a table. Every table was full, but without the benefit of ADRs (Advanced Dining Reservations), it wasn’t overcrowded.

The story is great. Basically, the owner of a big mansion had gone through hard times and chose to convert it into a restaurant and hotel. Now, as you roam the restaurant, you can see where “old” walls had been torn down, and where one room ends and another begins based on the flooring, or even which rooms were at one time out of doors! Each room now serves as just another section of a larger restaurant. My table was in the ‘bird room’ up the grand staircase. It at one time held many exotic birds, now replaced by Asian etchings of birds. Quite a history for a building just built in this year!
glacier

My table had a nice elaborate mosaic top as did one of the chairs. (Obviously the “original owners” had to decorate piece by piece.) Our server, Jay, was from Puerto Rico and welcomed us to their first day. There were moments of confusion as servers were still unsure of table numbers, but that will most likely get taken care of over time.

From the menu I ordered “Wok-Fried Green Beans” as a $6.99 appetizer. They were battered and served with a Thai chili dipping sauce and were a good offering. Other appetizers ranged from $4.99 Prawn flavored crisps up to a $12.99 Dim Sum basket which looked excellent. There was an impressive 2 sided drink menu, with lots of new offerings. My drink was called “Glacier Water” which was a Blue Curacao and coconut syrup with Sprite concoction. Topped off with a red maraschino cherry, the drink added a lot of color to my table.

 

I roamed the establishment a bit while waiting for my meal, taking some pictures of the décor and probably annoying quite a few tourists.

The menu has 4 sections for meals labeled Specialties, noodles, wok and grilled. Offerings ranged from $15.99 Sweet & Sour chicken up to a $22.99 Shaoxing steak & Shrimp. For dinner, I chose the “Crispy Mahi Mahi” for $19.99. It was a very large Mahi filet, covered in Japanese bread crumbs and Cantonese Sweet & Sour sauce. It was presented on top of some nice jasmine rice and stir-fried vegetables. The whole meal was excellent and served with generous portions. While the entire menu looks to have familiar Asian cuisine, it seems that the meals are far more unique than expected. For example, my rice and stir-fry were nothing like any I’ve ever tasted.

Desserts looked great ranging from a $5.99 sorbet up to a $7.99 Chocolate Brownie Sundae that approximated the size of a bowling ball. But, I had to pass on dessert this visit.

I checked outside and there is indeed a counter service operation, but the menu is different from inside. Most impressively, was the sheer amount of “Yak & Yeti” clothing and other merchandise available in the Bhaktapur market just outside the Yak. I didn’t buy anything, mostly because nothing had any reference to Disney, just to the Y&Y.

Overall, my experience was excellent and I look forward to my next visit to explore more of the menu.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 00:49:08 | Permalink | Comments (1) »

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Don’t Feel Like Cookin’?: 50s Prime Time Cafe

Even if the studios theme park doesn’t get the fan attention that is awarded the Magic Kingdom or Epcot, in one area it excels.  It has two excellent restaurants that, in addition to good food, are the most immersive on property.  It’s a difficult distinction, but for me the Sci-Fi Drive-in is an experience first, a restaurant second.  Even more so is the 50s Prime Time Café.  Diners are thrust confidently into a 1950s household where Mom rules the kitchen, and the kids each have their own chores… in this case, serving tables.

The restaurant is designed around a multi-room home, each room - and in some cases each table- has its own unique décor, firmly from a 1950s household.  Black and white art deco television monitors pepper the home, running short bits from classic television shows – Prime Time, of course.  The servers… err kids may be out front taking food orders and bringing stuff around, but it’s obvious that Mom is in charge.  She remains out of sight, busy in the kitchen.  Grandma assists her with dessert.  But Mom’s presence is felt, and the kids let you know, ‘reminding’ you of Moms rules.

Today I was eating alone, and they still made me set the table for myself.  After a restroom break several of the family asked me if I washed my hands.  When I verified I had, they persisted, questioning whether I used soap.

The menu is, of course Mom’s home cooking.  Roasted Peppers, Pot Roast, Chicken Pot Pie… Lunch entrees range from $12.99 up to $16..  So I chose a nice meatloaf ($14.99) and a generous helping of vegetables.  (And you better eat those!)  I topped it off with a Chocolate Shake ($4.99) that was off the charts delicious.  I actually left half a cup of shake behind as the serving was so large.

The dessert menu is brilliantly presented using a viewmaster.   

They are all in the $5 to $6 range and include nice gooey S’mores.

When it was time for me to pay the bill, Mom had sent a reminder “No tower for at least an hour!”

The 50s Prime Time Café may not have the kitchen of the Brown Derby or anything in the World Showcase of Epcot, but it has a dining experience that is most enjoyable.  I have never eaten there when I wasn’t surrounded by consistent laughter…  Just like Mom wants it.

Posted by Doc Terminus at 05:10:07 | Permalink | Comments (1) »